Cranberry Apple Sauce

Ok, everyone time to get real! Whether or not you want to admit it Thanksgiving is only 11 days away! EEK!!! I feel like every year I try to prepare and create lists ahead of time but end up doing everything the day of. This year, I want to try and de-stressify my day by actually getting a head start. I plopped some cranberries and apples in the slow cooker for about 8 hours yesterday and what came out of it this morning was pure magic. It required barely any effort (great) and made the house smell like the holidays (even better). By mixing together the cranberries with apples it gives the sauce a nice twist. Yes I know some people enjoy the jelly that slides out of the can (my sister) and others like the homemade stuff (the rest of the world) so I wanted to jazz it up a bit.

Now, if you want to do this in a pot on the stove because you're impatient like the most of the of, then follow these steps: Add all ingredients MINUS the apples to a small pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Add the apples, cover, and cook for another 20 minutes.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for Thanksgiving, it's absolutely my FAVORITE holiday!!! That's one thing crossed off my list (I'll actually be able to watch the parade this year!), and it's now in the freezer getting ready for the big day!

What you'll need:
1 12 oz. bags fresh cranberries
8 gala apples (if they're big, maybe 6)
2 tbs. cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbs. lemon juice
Zest of two oranges
1/4 cup orange juice (about 1 orange)

1. Rinse your cranberries in cold water, dry, and plop into your slow cooker. Peel, core, quarter, and slice your apples into big chunks and add to the slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, and orange zest. Pour it over the apples and cranberries, sprinkle with salt, and let it cook for 8 hours.
3. Stir every 2 hours to break up the apples (after the 6th hour, the apples will start breaking down). Turn off after 8 hours and let it sit for another hour or so to thicken up. Let cool and serve or pack up and freeze!

enjoy :)